The Galaxy Gear was fairly limited in its feature-set initially, but Samsung has added more and more functionality to the smartwatch over the last few months. The most recent addition is in the form of a turn-by-turn navigation client, called TurnByTurn. The app is developed by Symphony Teleca, and works by syncing directions from your smartphone to the Galaxy Gear. Symphony Teleca’s navigation client is based on Nokia HERE’s Android SDK, which allows third party vendors to use HERE’s location services to plan routes and then sync it to the Galaxy Gear. TurnByTurn works in the following fashion: You plan your desired route on your Samsung Galaxy device and then synchronize the directions to the Galaxy Gear. You can then view navigation instructions on the Galaxy Gear. The client also has audible cues that warn you of any upcoming turns.
Symphony Teleca has mentioned that it has been commissioned by Samsung to work on the Tizen engine. That could mean that such a navigation client could make its way onto the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo, along with future Tizen-based devices. Using a device like a smartwatch is much more comfortable than using a full-fledged handset to view navigation instructions while on the go. By including such functionality, Samsung is looking to gain an edge in the wearable segment.
